User talk:Mikepence

Welcome!

Hello,, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~&#126;); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Where to ask a question, ask me on my talk page, or place  on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! - CobaltBlueTony 15:39, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
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Editing Jehovah's Witnesses articles
Because of the volatile nature of religious opinion in general and opinions about Jehovah's Witnesses in particular, I am making it my goal to recommend to new and existing editors interested in JW articles to review (or re-review) Wikipedia's policies:
 * WP:NOR - no original research: your findings on Scripture have no place here
 * WP:V - verifiability: your references must be commonly verifiable
 * WP:NPOV - neutral point of view (this one is critical to JW pages edits especially): present opinions as opinions, facts as facts
 * WP:AGF - assume good faith: even if an edit is wildly divergent from what you are accustomed to, are comfortable with, or want to see in a particular article, don't assume bad motives on the part of the editor. They could be inexperienced, or have access to information that you may very well have never seen before.  This means giving the benefit of the doubt to the largest extent possible.
 * WP:CIV - Civility - "We cannot always expect people to love, honor, obey, or even respect another. But we have every right to demand civility."
 * WP:SOCK - No Sock puppets - do not use multiple accounts to bolster support for your edits, or to avoid personal attacks (see next point for how to deal with personal attacks)
 * WP:NPA - No personal attacks: calling into question someone's character, intelligence, or integrity by means of insults or condescendingly toned jabs simply because you don't like their edit or their position is unacceptable. If you keep making negative comments on the editor and not the edits, you could be banned (see WP:BAN.)
 * WP:VAND - Vandalism: what it is, what it is not, and how to deal with it.

As Wikipedia is a serious academic endeavor, it is not the place for proselytizing or promoting (or detracting from) issues of a religious or spiritual nature. Discussing the validity or failings of a particular religious viewpoint are both wastes of your time here, as they are opinions that do not contribute to the desired end result. It is expected of every editor to contribute positively, abide by the rules of the forum and stick to the facts. This will help us not only keep these articles and the discussions behind them free from ineffective and off-topic banter, but present a respectable product that addresses all sides in their proper perspectives.

It is best to ignore insults and off-topic discussions, addressing only the pertinent points so as to reach a consensus regarding the content of these pages. If you must address them, it's best to simply cite the Wikipedia standards and redirect your focus to content and format. I hope my suggestions help. Happy editing! - CobaltBlueTony 15:38, 21 December 2005 (UTC)